BMW M6: First Look

By Feann Torr - 16/12/2004

When you first cast your eyes across BMW's new super coupe, from the marque's famed M division, are your repulsed by its ugly looks?

Few enthusiasts are. Most people we've spoken to who've seen the just-released imagery of the 250km/h two door V10 beast were taken aback with its subtle visual enhancements over the standard 6 Series coupe.

Chris Bangle, the American design director at BMW has been chastised by all and sundry (even we're guilty) over many of his new designs, including the 7 Series, Z4, X3 and even the next generation 3 Series (E90).

But with all the boohooing and negativity surrounding Bangle in the last handful of years, BMW sales are not collapsing, and with new vehicles like the bold M6 being released, perhaps the man has finally earned his stripes?

Beyond the visual appeal of the new M6, with its big 19-inch wheels, subtle bodykit, low roof and those trademark quad exhaust pipes, the most interesting aspects are that of the powertrain and chassis.

And like the 1985 M635CSi – the M6's spiritual predecessor – the new 2-door M-car is about more than just straight line speed: it's about refinement and all-round performance.

But still, it is nice to know that, if need be, you can quite easily dispatch the 0-100km/h dash in in 4.6 seconds, leaving turbocharged challengers in your rather loud 10-cylinder wake.

BMW even reckons that if the car was de-restricted from its 250km/h (155mph) top speed, it's low stance and aerodynamic form would enable it to surpass speeds of 320km/h (200mph).

Want more proof of the V10-powered coupe's wild performance levels? How about the front-engined four wheeler's lap times around the famous 20 kilometre Nürburgring circuit of just eight minutes! For those who haven't yet sampled the German race track's blacktop, that's astonishingly quick.

Following in the footsteps of its highly acclaimed siblings, such as the new M5, and implementing the lightweight design solutions used on the M3 CSL, the new M6 "combines supercar presence with Grand Touring potential" as BMW succinctly puts it.

The M6 derives power from the 5.0-litre V10 motor first seen in the BMW M5. This nicely balanced 10-cylinder donk delivers 373kW of power (507hp) @ 7750rpm, and the tacho needle will unthinkingly bounce off its rev limiter at a very lofty 8250rpm.

That's an incredible amount of rapidly reciprocating mass for an engine that displaces 4999cc, and reaching engine speeds of more than 8000rpm with such a large capacity puts the V10 in very exclusive company.

The lightweight motor and has 4-valves per cylinder and at an engine speed of 8000rpm, each of the 10 pistons covers a distance of some 20 meters a second. That's quick, even for a race car engine.

But unlike race cars, the BMW M6's engine won't be rebuilt or discarded after every race, and must stand up to the rigours of high mileage in all conditions.

So how does BMW do it?

Not easily... The free-spinning V10 is one of the more interesting engines from the production car world, operating more like something ripped out of a totally worked race car, with some very trick and very expensive features.

The 90° V10's engine block is made from an aluminium-silicon alloy with a minimum of 17% silicon, it's very light at 240kg (529 lb) and there's also double-VANOS camshaft control to keep the valves happy.

Ten electronically controlled throttle butterflies are included, as is the most powerful engine electronics array used on a series production car, and even an oil supply with centrifugal force control makes the cut, which is needed to keep oil flowing to the sump under hard cornering (BMW claims that "the capable chassis of the new M6 permits lateral acceleration in excess of 1g").

The engine runs a high 12.0:1 compression ratio and develops a fat 520Nm of torque @ 6100rpm.

Now, while you may think that that's quite high in the rev range for peak torque to arrive, bear in mind that 450Nm builds from just 3500rpm, meaning there's still plenty of poke in the motor's bottom end.

On the road, the 373kW and 520Nm generated by the V10 mill would pin you into your Merino leather sports seat well and truly, not letting up as the 7-speed transmission takes less than a second to change gears, hammering from 0-100km/h in a quick-fire 4.6 seconds.

As well as a thirst for petroleum (it returns almost 23 litres/100km for the city cycle) the V10 powerplant needs about twice the amount of cooling air as the 4.4-litre V8 found in the BMW 645Ci.

In order to keep the screaming 5.0-litre engine operating at ideal temperatures, big air intakes flanking the front air dam give the M6's engine ample air to breathe deeply, and these big portals in the front bumper also help cool the brakes at the same time.

The exhaust system has also been worked over, and BMW reckons that "compared to the M5, the sound of the exhaust on the M6 is even more muscular and aggressive". A pair of 5-into-1 stainless-steel manifolds are used, with their walls measuring just 0.8 millimetres in thickness, and are produced as single units with no seams to ensure an almost perfect exhaust gas flow.

Putting all this fine-tuned and maximised power to the ground is BMW's new 3rd-generation 7-speed Sequential Manual Gearbox, or SMG in BMW speak, which comes with Drivelogic and is the same 'box fitted to the M5. Gear changes are initiated via a traditional lever or with paddles in the steering wheel and gear changes are claimed to be 20 per cent faster than the 2nd-generation SMG used on the E46 model M3.

The Drivelogic device basically offers drivers the choice of 11 different shift patterns (six in manual mode, five in automatic mode), based on how quickly the gear shift should take. For instance, if you're stuck in gridlocked traffic, you will probably want to use the slowest shift in automatic mode.

The 7-speed SMG has more tricks up its multi-cogged sleeve as well, able to open the clutch for a less than a second in order to avoid the rear wheels locking up during downshifts, and particularly on low grip surfaces. Furthermore, the new SMG can detect inclines and declines, and will hold gears when heading uphill and even drop a gear when going downhill in order to use engine braking and thus keep speeds from fluctuating.

BMW saw fit to equip the M6 with a Power button (pioneered in the M5) to boot. For general use, the car normally selects a P400 setting, which is 400hp and is suited to commuter driving. Press the Power button and you've got the P500 setting, which sharpens throttle response and maxes out the power to 507hp (373kW).

The M6 may well have one of the most advanced, high-tech powertrains to ever find its way into a production series car, so to keep a happy automotive equilibrium the chassis has also been well looked after.

BMW's super coupe has deceleration characteristics best described as devastating, able to chock up an eye-watering 1.3g during deceleration. It makes use of aluminium twin piston calipers and large cross-drilled disc brakes measuring 348mm and 345mm front and rear, and in real world terms it means the M6 can come to a complete stop from 100km/h in just 36 metres.

This impressively short stopping distance is also aided by copious amounts of silica-injected rubber, fitted to 19-inch forged aluminium wheel rims measuring 255/40 ZR19 on the front and 285/35 ZR19 on the rear. BMW is quick to make the point that the wheels also weigh 1.8kg less than normal cast alloy rims, improving unsprung weight.

Speaking of weight, the M6 gets a number of flab-reducing items, all of which combine to give the car a 1710kg kerb weight. These light weight odds and sods include aluminium doors and bonnet, a carbon fibre roof and a hybrid construction of thermoplastics, aluminium and sheet moulding compound (SMC) for the body structure.

Though the suspension is based on the same setup as the 645Ci, it gets revised geometry for sharper cornering response plus BMW's variable, speed-sensing M differential lock. Furthermore, Electronic Damper Control is a standard on the M6, offering three settings: Comfort, Normal and Sport.

Seeing as the M6 has enough power to break traction at the rear wheels without even blinking, BMW has integrated a modified version of its DSC stability control system, one that allows "considerable angles of controllable oversteer". That's good old fashioned powersliding to you and me.

Though BMW wanted to offer customers the kind of performance that will keep the Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo honest, it was also keen to avoid tarnishing its luxurious reputation, and so the 2+2 seater M6 gets all the goodies you'd expect of the prestige marque.

Fully adjustable M sports seats kick off interior proceedings, complete with lumbar and backrest width adjust. Yes width. Merino leather is the upholstery of choice, and the M6 also gets the rather snappy-looking Head-up Display system that's sure to make your friends jealous.

But unlike the standard HUD system fitted to 5 and 6 Series models (offering navigation instructions and cruise control information), the system on the M6 projects driver-focussed information such as the gear selected, road and speed directly into the driver's view, ensuring track day fiends will be in seventh heaven.

John Kananghinis, the main man for marketing and communications at BMW Group Australia was very positive when talking about the Beemer beast: "The new BMW M6 is the latest in a long line of uncompromising ultra-high-performance vehicles from BMW M that excite enthusiastic drivers.

"The BMW M6 will appeal immediately to the top echelon of drivers who demand ultimate power with ultimate dynamic agility but refuse to compromise on ultimate luxury. The highly exclusive BMW M6 is sure to be the most sought-after super Coupé of 2005."

Whether or not it's a popular model remains be seen, but judging by all the hype its generating, not to mention all the drool-worthy motorsport-derived elements it incorporates, Kananghinis has good reason to be upbeat.

Indeed, there's something completely alluring about the huge power on offer from the M6, all packaged up in what is a relatively discreet package. It's bristling with all the very latest in automotive technology to make it go, turn and stop with mind-boggling alacrity and together with a plush interior, there's a lot to like about it.

Available in four new M colours - Indianapolis Red, Sepang Bronze, Interlagos Blue and Silverstone - plus three other standard 6 Series colours, the 2005 M6 will go on sale towards the end of 2005 in Europe, and isn't likely to see the light of day in Australia until '06. Specific dates and prices will be revealed by BMW in due course.